Sunday, 14 February 2010

Noise.

Why is silence so hard to deal with?183 million people are reguarly exposed to noise levels labeled as excessice by the Environmental Protection AgencyDo you have a cell phone? A Pager? Voice-mail?Do you have a cell phone with voice-mail and e-mail?Do you have a tv? More than one tv?Do you have a radio on all day? On at work, in the car, at home?Is there such a thing as visual noise?Do you wish there were more billboards along the roads you drive?Do we have enough strip malls yet?

Do you feel like God is distant?Do you wish God's voice would be louder in your life?Is there a connection between the amount of noise in our lives and our inability to hear God?

SUV's and minivans now come with separate CD and DVD systems for the back seats.You can buy wired clothing now. Coats and jackets equipped with cell phones and MP3 players.

Try this.

Make yourself comfortable in your chair and begin breathing slowly as you read.

'Then Moses and the priests, who are levites, said to all Israel, "Be silent, Oh Israel, and listen!" (Deuteronomy 27:9)'Search your heart and be silent.' (Psalm 4:4)'But the Lord is in His holy temple: Let all the earth be silent before him.' (Habakkuk 2:20)'Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.' (Jesus in Matthew 11)

If I am not still, and if I don't listen, how is Jesus going to give me rest?

Have you spent the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you have spent in silence, listening to what God might have to say?

Why is talking so much easier than listening?

'But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.' (Luke 5:16)

These were regular disciplines Jesus had.When was the last time you were in a solitary space?What is it about silence that is so difficult?Why is it easier to surround myself with noise and keeping moving, than to stop, be silent and listen?

How much noise do I voluntarily subject myself to?Does my schedule, my time, my life look like that of a person who wants to hear God's voice?Maybe the healing and guidance we desperately need is not going to come from one more meeting or therapy session or sermon or self-help book,but from simply listening for the voice of God.Do you really believe that God's voice is more interesting than the voices around you?Is it possible that you have been searching for God in the winds, the earthquakes and fires and he is waiting to speak to you in the silence?

Everytime I read this it challenges me. Especially with where I am right now (if you've read anything else on this blog you'll know what I mean).And especially this bit;

Do you feel like God is distant?Do you wish God's voice would be louder in your life?Is there a connection between the amount of noise in our lives and our inability to hear God?

and;

Have you spent the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you have spent in silence, listening to what God might have to say?

I so often surround myself with noise to find God. I love music and find God in this, any kind of music, he speaks to me through it, it's the way I operate and I love the way God uses that.But so rarely am I in silence, even now as I write this I've got the TV on. And it will usually remain on until I go to sleep.

I love this bit of the Bible;The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

God. Was. In. The. Silence.

So like yesterday, I'm making a change, day 1 has gone well so far, tomorrow, I want to find some silence and listen,

and wait,

and listen.

And expect God to move. Like I said yesterday, I know that God hasn't retreated, I know God wants to speak to me.